A fire in the rooftop air-conditioning unit at Travel Centers of America-North, at 1600 U.S. Highway 20, filled the building with smoke on Wednesday, the Porter Fire Department said.

Fire Chief Lewis Craig told the Chesterton Tribune today that firefighters were dispatched to the TA truck stop at 11:30 a.m. after employees saw flames shooting out of the industrial A/C unit. The employees shut off power to the building and the fire subsequently extinguished itself, Craig said.

Assisting the PFD at the scene were the Burns Harbor and Chesterton departments, the latter of which brought its ladder truck and sent two of its firefighters to the roof to make sure there had been no extension.

Craig believes that a motor in the A/C unit burned out.

After power was restored to the TA building, its hood fans quickly ventilated the smoke, Craig added.

There was no damage to the building itself and the PFD cleared the scene at 12:09 p.m.

Posted 9/20/2012